Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Asia has announced that as of 1 June, all back-office membership and training program services will be managed from their Australasia offices in Sydney, Australia, while they develop a regional structure.

Joel Katz, MD CLIA Asia

Joel Katz, MD CLIA Australasia and CLIA Asia, said: “We will leverage off the experience our Australasian team has in providing member and training support. For marketing and PR related enquires we also ask the Asian trade and media to contact our Australasian office in the interim.”

“We are delighted to now be offering CLIA membership to agents in Asia. Cruising continues to gain popularity and Asian travellers are realising that cruising is an easy, relaxing, and value for money way to travel. As our member cruise lines increasingly deploy capacity to this fast-growing region, our cruise specialist travel agent training and accreditation program ensures that agents are equipped with the right skills to be able to sell cruise, maximise their commission levels, and ensure a high repeat guest factor” Mr Katz added.